Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop a Supplier Development (SD) literature framework and identify the main focus areas in SD research. To this end, a comprehensive review of the existing SD academic literature has been undertaken, which includes 62 research papers. These papers are classified according to their research content and the research methodology employed. A comprehensive list of future research areas is also presented. This review marks the beginning of a research project which aims at improving SD processes in practice in the manufacturing sector. Thus this paper will also briefly explore the proposed future research. The review of the SD presented here identifies the following main areas of focus: Supplier Development Activities, Practices and Success Factors; Direct or Indirect Supplier Development; Supplier Development as a Reactive or Strategic Process; Supplier Development in a Lean Six Sigma & SME context.